The ira a documentary history 19162005 belfast books. The troubles were formally ended with the good friday agreement, but not everyone was ready to celebrate. The conflict in northern ireland was one of the most devastating in postwar europe, claiming the lives of 3,500 people and injuring many more. In this novel, the ira demand that a hotel manager plant a car bomb to kill a protestant preacher. Top 10 books about the troubles david keenan books.
The true story of a british secret agent inside the ira. The troubles is the period of northern irish history beginning in the 1960s. It is also more open to balanced examination nowat the end of its long war in the north of irelandthan it was even a few years ago. The troubles were brought to an uneasy end by a peace process that included the declaration of ceasefires by most paramilitary organisations, the complete decommissioning of the iras weapons, the reform of the police, and the withdrawal of the british army from the streets and sensitive irish border areas such as south armagh and county. A new book about british army soldiers serving in northern ireland claims that a number of us navy members joined the ira during the troubles. In his trilogy about the troubles, he explores events from the points of view of the republicans.
Peter taylor, a journalist and documentary filmmaker, has covered the irish conflict for 30 years. Online shopping for troubles ireland from a great selection at books store. There are some nice films out there, i admit, such as neil jordans. Neither his grandparents or his twin brother would return from the ira bomb attack that shocked britain and the world. New book say nothing revisits the troubles in northern. The history of the ira and millions of other books are available for instant access. Delving deeply into the inner workings, furtive plots, and deadly rivalries of the irish republican army, ed moloney, who has covered the ira since the late 1970s, delivers a riveting account of how one of the. History books generally dont cover current affairs, but sometimes it cant be avoided. The ira has been a much richer, more complexly layered, and more protean organization than is frequently recognized. The name ira has been in use since the organization was founded in 1921. The term irish republican army was first used during the fenian raids in canada during the 1860s. The british army, deployed to restore order in belfast in 1969. Richard english, a lecturer at queens university belfast, writes dispassionately about the history and ideology of the irish republican army. You can get it directly here the provisional irish republican army and the morality of terrorism is terrorism ever morally justified.
The following year the ira spawned the provisional ira, a more militant wing of the movement whose violent tacticssuch as disappearing traitors and informantsaimed for nothing short of a united and independent ireland. He writes in a breezy, readable style and covers the subject thoroughly. A history of the ira by richard english is the most unbiased account you will ever read. Literature, memoir, and nonfiction about the troubles 19681998. Top 10 books about the troubles novelist david keenan picks fiction, history and reportage that record the devastating conflict that convulsed northern ireland for. How should historical and cultural factors be taken into account in judging the morality of terrorist acts.
April 16, 2015 books on the troubles of northern ireland belfastchildis a great read if you want to know more about the british army and undercover operations in northern ireland. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. These northern ireland books are recommended by alpha history authors. This is different from a lot of history books as many of these events are first hand accounts of the parties involved. List of books and articles about irish republican army. His father had been a member of the ira, and although my dad left belfast just as the troubles were beginning, most of his family stayed, and throughout my.
Hello and welcome to feature history, featuring the end of my suffering, because im no longer doing the troubles anymore. This topic was never touched in my school history lessons and having just recently discovered it, im becoming fascinated by it. Brian moores lies of silence a rare troubles novel by the belfastborn writer is a multilayered story of a hotel manager and his wife held hostage by the ira. The author lived there during the troubles and was an active reporter researching and interviewing many of the participants of the ira and others. The ira provides the only objective, comprehensive history of the organization that has transformed the irish nationalist movement during the past century. If there were more booksmovies about the provosira, there would be a greater social attention afforded to the troubles between the british protestants and irish catholics in belfast northern ireland. While the book primarily focuses on the northern ireland troubles 19681998, english includes a short but essential history of the iras origins and its role as the carrier of. These books are available for purchase through our affiliate partner the book depository at low prices all of which include worldwide shipping. Here he talks about books that helped him better understand the troubles, and his own book, from a clear blue sky, about his own journey to come to terms with that happened that. An ira member squats on patrol in west belfast as women and children approach. The ira a documentary history the ira in its own words through previously unpublished internal communications and public statements.
While the book primarily focuses on the northern ireland troubles 19681998, english includes a short but essential history of the iras origins and its role as the carrier of the physical force torch. If you are looking for a comprehensive, singlevolume survey of irish history, i can recommend thomas bartletts ireland. Say nothing is a panoramic history of northern irelands troubles patrick radden keefes new book begins with the 1972 disappearance of. Us navy sailors joined ira during the troubles says book. Im looking for suggestions for books that deal with the history or activities of the ira, or the history of the troubles in general. Revisiting the troubles in northern ireland patrick radden keefes new book say nothing investigates the mystery of a missing mother and reveals a. A young child stands near an armed soldier in belfast on may 6, 1981. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. The northern ireland conflict 19681998 an overview. The northern ireland conflict was a thirty year bout of political violence, low intensity armed conflict and political deadlock within the six northeastern counties of ireland that formed part of the united kingdom of great britain and. What is the best book about the irish republican army.
Filled with disclosures and based on the authors unprecedented access to the irish republican army, this explosive book sparked controversy when it was first published in hardcover. While we have now thankfully moved on and reached what has so far been a lasting peace, the legacy of the troubles lives on and its shadow is still very much felt by the people who lived through those. An inspector of the loyalist royal ulster constabulary carries an injured women from a shopping arcade in donegall street. There was a time when any account of the troubles could draw to a close at 1998, with the belfast. With clarity and objectivity, coogan examines the iras origins, its foreign links, bombing campaigns, hunger strikes and sectarian violence and its role in the latest attempts to bring.
In august 1979, timothy knatchbull and his family went out in a boat off the coast of ireland. The troubles refers to a violent thirtyyear conflict that began with a civil rights march in londonderry on 5 october 1968 and concluded with the good friday agreement on 10 april 1998. The irish republican army has a much longer history than that begun in the late 1960s and early 1970s, having been. Irish republican army ira, nationalist organization devoted to the integration of ireland as a complete and independent unit. In the latest in our series of overviews, a summary of the troubles, by john dorney. The boston tapes are secret recordings in which exparamilitaries talk about their role. Im creating a new page for my websiteblog, books about the troubles see. The troubles is the name irish people give to the violent and conflict filled period of history in ireland from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. What many people dont realise about the troubles is how easily regular people got drawn in and how horrific the consequences were. First published ten years ago, making sense of the troubles is widely regarded as the most comprehensive, considered and compassionate irish times history of the troubles in northern ireland. The sas and the secret struggle against the ira may 4 1993. He was elected several times to the british house of commons. Author tim pat coogan, a respected irish journalist who has covered the troubles throughout his career, has accomplished the nearimpossible task of unsnarling the tangled web of politics and insurgency in ireland, north and south.
How the troubles came to northern ireland contemporary history in context by peter rose book description. Full description dr brian hanley is a lecturer in history in st. This book draws upon recently released official documents and interviews with many key politicians and civil servants of the period to examine the failure of british policy to prevent the troubles. Image caption boston colleges belfast project was an attempt to create an oral history of the troubles. The irish republican army ira, which traces its roots to catholic irish nationalism in the early 1900s, was considered by many to be a terrorist organization because of certain tacticssuch as bombings and assassinationit used to oppose british rule in ireland. Books on the troubles of northern ireland belfast child. A true story of murder and memory in northern ireland. The troubles refers to the threedecade conflict between nationalists mainly selfidentified as irish or roman catholic and unionists mainly selfidentified as british or protestant. The plot is as simple as a plot can be but its completely harrowing. A 30year period that saw violent clashes between the ira and other paramilitary groups and british security forces became known as the troubles. They have selected these books for their content, accessibility and affordability. The word troubles has been used as a synonym for violent conflict for centuries. Peter taylors top 10 books on the troubles books the.
The term was used to describe the irish revolutionary period in the early twentieth century. Books on the troubles of northen ireland belfast child. Making sense of the troubles is david mckittrick and david mcveas classic history of the troubles, now completely revised and updated. Richard englishs brilliant book offers a detailed history of the ira, providing invaluable historical depth to our understanding of the modern.